Alex Ovechkin Decides He Won't Pass Wayne Gretzky With Empty-Net Goal; Capitals Respect Choice

WASHINGTON – As time ticked down against the Chicago Blackhawks, Dylan Strome asked Alex Ovechkin "about 15 times" if he was sure that he didn't want to try and score his record-breaking 895th career goal on an empty net on Friday in D.C. The Washington Capitals captain, who'd already scored twice to tie Wayne Gretzky's total of 894, shook his head.

He had the same response for coach Spencer Carbery and the rest of his teammates, adamant that he wants 895 to come with a goalie between the pipes.

"I tell Carbs right away, 'I don't want to do it.' Stromer ask me, Carly ask me, everybody ask me, 'Do you want it? Do you want it?' I said 'Let's wait,'" Ovechkin said.

Of course, his teammates had differing perspectives, and when they looked at it, didn't think it would've been all that bad to tuck in an empty-netter for sole possession of history.

"It's hard because for a hat trick goal, it's a little different. But I don't think he wanted it," Strome said, adding, "It's kind of tough to talk about and decide during a game but like you said you don't want to be the guy to shoot it into the empty net if he's looking for it to pass, but he made it pretty clear that he didn't want to get it on an empty netter and you got to respect his wishes.

"It's one of those things that the goals are goals, they all count the same. Just, you know, that video's going to be played forever, right?... I'm glad it's not (an empty-netter), I think he is, too, and we'll see what happens in the coming days."

Ovechkin had a handful of chances in the final minute of regulation, but remained at 894, comfortably atop the NHL leaderboard with No. 99. Ryan Leonard, in turn, scored his first NHL goal on the empty net.

"I'm happy for Leno. He score his first NHL goal. The kid have a great future," Ovechkin said. "Tonight is an unbelievable night for our organization, for hockey, for D.C. Wayne Gretzky saw that, and it's unbelievable."

When it comes to what Gretzky thinks, he cracked that he wouldn't have minded if Ovechkin scored an ENG for 895.

"(I'd) take all the empty-netters I could get," he said postgame.

Ovechkin will get his next chance to pass Gretzky on Sunday when the Capitals visit the New York Islanders. That said, he's not thinking too far ahead.

"How I said, it's game by game, it's shift by shift. You never know what's gonna happen," Ovechkin said. "We just gonna to continue to enjoy it and continue to do our best because we still have six games left before playoffs and our mind right now is get ready for the playoffs and play the right way in the playoffs."